The fact that the magazine picked up on the gearing is significant, as one of Talbot’s stated aims for the Samba was to produce the most economical car in Europe… Conditionally, of course. Still, the Samba was greeted by a positive press at its launch in France, and WHAT CAR? magazine was most favourable after its first drive: “First driving impressions are of the refined, clean revving engine and excellent quality of the gearchange adding to a drivetrain which for its smoothness is unique in the present range of Talbot cars.” Obviously, the use of Peugeot instead of SIMCA engines (with their rattly tappets) had the desired effect on WHAT CAR?‘s staffers… The magazine went on: “The gearing feels very high as the ratios were chosen with economy in mind, and one feels that the limit of economy gearing in relation to the power of the engine is not far off, but as it is the compromise is reasonable.” Unlike the Alpine, the Samba was purely French built, which must have come as something of a blow to the beleagured British workforce. At the time of its launch, the Pininfarina styled cabriolet was also touted, but it followed some months after. It was significant at the time for being the first Poissy car to be designed and produced under the stewardship of Peugeot, and at the time of its launch, there was no reason to believe that it was not to be the first in a line of many…Īt launch, the Samba range was offered in three levels of trim: LS, GL and GLS, and these trim levels were tied in with three engines – 954cc, 1124cc and 1360cc. Despite not having been anything more than a twinkle in the product planners’ eyes in 1978, the T15 became a production reality in October 1981, and the following month, the new car – called the Talbot Samba – was launched to the press. Like the Sunbeam before it, the T15 went through a remarkably quick gestation period, and even if it relied on much existing Peugeot hardware, it was proof of Whitley and Poissey’s determination to make the best of the situation. Certainly, its style was very much of that school of thought. "A 104 with its faults ironed out", is how WHAT CAR? magazine described the Samba. The doors are shared with the 104, but with different outer skins. Although the T15 would emerge as very obviously Peugeot 104 based, it shared very few body panels and only the hatchback and bonnet are the same. In fact, according to French sources, the Whitley involvement on the T15 project amounted to a tidy-up of an existing proposal to facelift the Peugeot 104. It certainly looked more modern, thanks to the 1980s-generic front end styling and moulded bumpers, but because much of the 104Z’s body-in-white engineering was retained, as well as its side doors, the T15 would emerge looking little more than a facelift of an existing car. Given that brief, the Whitley design centre produced a smart update of the 104. Just like the Sunbeam before it, the T15 would, therefore, need to retain as much under-the-skin engineering as possible. Given that PSA earmarked the Linwood plant for closure soon after it took on Chrysler Europe, the C15 (renamed T15 soon after the “Talbot” marque name was chosen) would need to enter production by late-1981. With a plan settled, the matter of how much 104 would need to be retains needed to be settled. Without doubt, the post-merger situation at PSA was a product planner’s nightmare! This did not take Citroen into consideration, as it was considered that they traditionally appealed to very different customers. This product juggling would eventually leave PSA with a Talbot-badged supermini at the lower end of the supermini sector, and a Peugeot at the top of it. A further matter for consideration was Peugeot’s own replacement for the 104, which had been conceived as a slightly bigger car… The 104 “shortcut” also fit more comfortably into the classic supermini envelope, fitting neatly beneath the Ford Fiesta (and slightly above the soon-to-be-launched Austin miniMetro). Because the Horizon was established, and had an entry level of 1118cc, it was decided that the C15 should be based upon the shorter of the two 104s, so as not to encroach on its bigger brother. The new supermini took shape in the early months of 1979, under the project name C15, and quickly a product plan was drawn-up for the car. Project T15 conceived as the replacement for the Sunbeam
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